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New Year's Day
is calennig day in Wales. Photo taken 1906-1914.
( © National Museum of Wales)
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Superstitions
It's surprising just how superstitious we are here in
Wales. But when you look back a century or so, you'll find hundreds of superstitions. Here are
just a few with Christmas and New Year associations. |
Christmas
- Holly is a symbol of
eternal life. Other evergreens to bring into your home this Christmas include ivy, rosemary,
bay leaves and, of course, mistletoe.
- Don't
forget to bring in the plough and keep it under your dining table for the duration of the holiday.
- If
you take a candle to church this Christmas, don't bring it home, blow it out and leave it there
with the vicar for good luck.
- Don't
try this at home, but some farmers used to cut their animals to make them bleed on Boxing Day. They thought
that bloodletting would improve their livestock's health and stamina!
- Mistletoe
is a magical plant. It keeps evil spirits away as well as offering a good excuse to improve your love
life.
- Keep
that Yule log blazing in your open fire. It's considered bad luck to light a fresh fire during
the twelve days of Christmas.
- Two
tree-tips: don't throw green holly leaves on the fire or cut down an oak tree that has mistletoe
growing on it.
New Year
- On
New Year's Day it's considered bad luck if the first visitor at your house has red hair.
Best luck comes from a knock at the door by man you don't know with black hair.
- Try
to repay all debts and push the bank-balance into the black before the New Year. Tradition states
that ending a year in debt means a whole new year of debt.
- Lending
anything - even a candle - on New Year's Day is considered unlucky.
- If
you make a calennig for New Year's Day, don't throw it away afterwards. Put it to stand on your
window sill and it will bring you good luck for as long as it stands there.
- If
you burn a Yule log this Christmas, keep the ashes to bury along with your plant seeds in the spring.
Superstition dictates that you'll be assured of a bumper crop.
- Remember
to take down every last Christmas decoration before the end of the evening of January 5th. It's
seen as bad luck to keep trimmings up after Twelfth Night.
Learn Welsh with... Catchphrase 2002 - Catchphrase Lessons - Cam
Ymlaen
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